Fred Said . . .

This was one show ticket I bought way way before the show itself.  I remember buying these tickets for Andrew Lord Webber's "Cats" back in November 2009, when I was buying tickets for "Sweeney Todd" (shown December 2009)!  So, this day July 24, 2010 came along, and finally, I saw "Cats".

Prior to the show, I was apprehensive because a couple of people told me how they fell asleep when they watched this show on Broadway, no less.   But anyway, I was still optismistic since this is a most long-running show since it opened on the West End way back 1981, and we have Ms. Lea Salonga as Grizabella here.

The Show:

The show opens exactly at 8pm (so don't be late, or you will asked to wait for about 10 minutes before they allow you in).  The "cats" appear in the audience area, even in the balcony!  Then the music begins.  Then the full extent of the lighting effects slowly unfold.  The moment was magical.  This continued as the "cats" all go onstage to perform the first song "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats."  The rest of the play is a series of numbers about each "cat," strung together by a thin story about a cat being chosen "to be reborn into a new life".

The more memorable cats in the First Act were the flamboyant Rum Tum Tugger (the actor who played him looked and acted  like Adam Lambert), the funny naughty couple Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the stately patriarch Old Deuteronomy, and of course, the focus of all Filipino eyes, the ex-Glamour Cat Grizabella, played by Ms. Lea Salonga.  She gave us a short version of "Memory" to end the first act.  I did not really like the numbers featuring Jennyanydots (the old Gumbie cat) and Bustopher Jones (the very fat cat).

The Second Act was more interesting and well-paced, with several big flashy highlights.  The memorable cats here were Growltiger and Griddlebone (with their funny operatic showdown), the "master criminal" cat Macavity (with his energetic fight scene), and the magical Mr. Mistoffelees (with his acrobatic ballet).  The song we were all waiting for, of course, was the full version of "Memory," which comes towards the closing of the second act.  Ms. Lea Salonga really stood out with her crystal clear diction and excellently emotional rendition of this dramatic song.  The whole play ended with a beautiful anthem by Old Deuteronomy called "The Addressing of Cats," which was a very strong finale number.

The Good:

First and foremost, Ms. Lea Salonga!  She is simply the best "cat" up there on stage.  Her dancing and scampering may have been limited by her character Grizabella's old age, and she seemed to be hobbling (due to a sprained ankle?).  But whenever it was Lea Salonga's turn to sing, her words were all rich and ringing, and we understood every word she sang.  Now THAT is a real STAR turn.  It was clearly not a problem with mikes or the sound system that we cannot understand what the other "cats" were singing about.  They simply were not singing and enunciating their lyrics clearly. 

The huge sets were fantastic!  It was clear why the tickets were expensive.  The entire stage of the CCP Main Theater was transformed into a cat's playground.  The elaborate lighting effects were instrumental in establishing the fantastical quality of this story.   There was a big scene where a train's locomotive engine was assembled on stage during the Railway Train number, and that was another highlight of the set department.

The costumes and make-up were fun watch in close up with your binoculars.  The make-up used for the actor's transformation into a cat-like face were different for each one, and that is also very impressive.  We got to see a "cat" up close when one came up there during the intermission.  Too bad, we weren't quick enough to take a picture of it while it was there.

The Not So Good:

Where we were seated in the Balcony 1 center area, the view would have been very good.  However our viewing was marred by several inconsiderate individuals in front of us who persisted in NOT leaning back, so that their heads were blocking our line of vision.  It was indeed very frustrating, but we just had to grin and bear it. 

From the first song, I had problems understanding what the cast was singing about!  I purposely did not read ahead of time about the plot and songs, and I think that was a mistake.  If you did not know anything, you would wonder what on earth is going on!  Not fully understanding the lyrics is a recipe for boredom.  Key points were lost to me, like what exactly does "Jellicle" mean, or why do they shun Grizabella, and what exactly does it mean when a cat is chosen to be "reborn in a new life."  The first act was particularly difficult to get through.

You may also feel bored if you are not really into dance.  This show is as much about dance as it is about song.  A variety of dance is presented, mostly jazz styles, but also tap, ballet and gymnastics.  I felt these may be the parts when people may feel bored if they did not understand what was going on. But there was one number which was obviously fantastic, even for those not into dance.  It was that one of Mr. Mistoffelees with his 24 fouettés en tournant which was amazing to watch!

The Overall Verdict:

"Cats" is a rare visual spectacle that should not be missed (at least once in your life).  The songs (based on some confoundingly cryptic t.s. eliot poetry) and the dances by themselves may not be to everyone's liking, but the total theater experience is unmistakably magical while you are in there.  And most of all, it was awesome to watch the unmatched Ms. Lea Salonga bring that old familiar song "Memory" to fiery life in its original context.  That priceless moment in the Second Act alone is well worth the admission. 


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"Cats" will be running at the CCP Main Theater from Tuesdays to Sundays every week from now up to August 22, 2010. 

Matinees, Saturdays (3 p.m.) and Sundays (2:30 p.m.): 7,210 / 5,150 / 3,605 / 2,060 / 1,030

Evenings, Tuesdays (8 p.m.), Wednesdays (8 p.m.), Thursdays (8 p.m.) and Sundays (7:30 p.m.): 6,180 / 4,635 / 3,090 / 1,545 / 772.50

Evenings, Fridays (8 p.m.) and Saturdays (8 p.m.): 7,210 / 5,150 / 3,605 / 2,060 / 1,030

Senior citizens get a 20 percent discount, students 10 percent and group sales of 30 tickets or more 10 percent on outlet purchases.  Tickets are availabe at Ticketworld:  Call 891-9999 or visit the Ticketworld website.